Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-08-20
THE R. R. HORROR.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.

CHATswORTH, ILL, August H.
The fatal figures of yesterdays
bridge disaster were but slightly ex.
aggerated. The record now stands
Over 100 dead; over 300 injured.
Very few people at Chatsworth
closed their eyes last night, and
lights which shone through the win.
dows Of nearly every house in the
place told their own story of the
faithful ministrations of the villagers
to the injured and dying. Scores oil
residents and strangers stood all
night at the street corners and on
the depot platform and talked over
the terrible events of yesterday with
bated breath. At the depot two
men were busy enclosing the re.
mains of the recognized dead in rude
pine boxes, and the noise OF ham.
mers beat upon the cars and ming.
led with the groans of wounded,
who were being cared for in the lit.
tie town hall, only a few feet away
across the track. Here the scene
was such as to melt the stoutest
heart. On nearly two score mattres.
SEES, some resting on chairs and
others on the floor, were men, and
children in various degrees of suffer.
ing and torture. On one cot, side by
side, with their arms resting across
each other, were Robert Zimmerman
and his wife, of Peoria. The suffer
ings of both were excruciating, and
Mr.. Zimmerman's faithful brother,
who had hurried to the scene to do
the best he could to relieve their
agony, was forced every few mo-
ments to seek the open air to re.
lieve his own pent up emotion.
Near by was little five year.old,
flaxenhaired, doll.faced Josie Bland.
ing, of Harkel's Corners, near PEG.
ria, was brought here in carriage
by her father from Piper City at
four o'clock this morning. She was
suffering from internal injuries, as
we'll as Commissions of the lower
limbs, but never a whimper came
from her lips, aid she smiled sweet,
ly as the nurse whispered her words
of encouragement.
ashes the brick of 'em all,n said
the doctor.
Upon the platform, where the 10.
cal Solons are won't to hold forth
pretty Lille Valdejo, of Peoria, lay
in what DR.. Ballard, who bent over
her for hours, thought were her last
agones. She was perfectly con-
scious, and between her gasps for
breath told how she had travelled all
over Europe in safety only to come
face s.a to J face With 1 death few miles miles
across the street, but despite her
earnest pleading for news, no one
had the heart to tell her the dread.
ful truth.
III. A. Mcclure, Of Keitsburg, came
here this morning, seeking his low
ed ones. His wife and child had
parted with him twenty. -four hours
before, and were going to New York.
He reached Chatsworth to find the
couple stretched upon the floor of
the school house. Kind hands had
placed the one,year-old baby boy in
it's mothers arms. Their faces had
escaped injury, and looked placid,
as though asleep. Near by was the
crushed satchel, containing the
bady's wardrobe and toilet articles.
The father spied the powder box and
baby puff before the coverings had
been removed from their dead faces,
and with a groan he sank on his
knees, and throwing himself pros
trate on the bodies, cried aloud.
Closely wrapped in white sheet
is another baby, not yet identified
Half a score of bodies of full-grown
men and women lay around on the
pine floor. The school house is turn
ed into a morgue and affords a tenn.
porary abiding place for another
score, while down at the depot the
correspondents have to pick their
way through double row of bodies
to the telegraph Office.
In the baggage room the floor is
piled high with satchels, handbags.
hats, bonnets, feathers, shoes and
innumerable other articles of attire
which have been brought up from
the wreck. Among these are group
ed the relatives of the dead seeking
such personal effects as may have
been saved, and which may help the
coroners to make final Identification
in some way. There are loud com
plants regarding robberies of the
bodies, but the ghoulism appears tc
have been the work of a gang OF
pickpockets who we're on the train
for the purpose of plumber. The
residents of Chatsworth are certain
~ not guilty of it. They, especially
the women, have acted nobly.
There was one incident which
stood out more horrible than all o.
those horrible scenes. In the sec
ond coach was a man, his wife an(
little child. His name could not bt
learned today, but it is said be go
on at Peoria. When the accident
occurred the entire family of three
was caught and held down bI
broken woodwork. Finally, whei
relief came the man turned TO then
friendly and feebly said: "Tak,
out my wife first. I'm afraid thu
/
out the mother, and as a broker
seat was taken off her crushed
| breast, the blood which flowed from
her lips told how badly she was hurt
They carried the child, a.fair.haired
blue-eyed girl of 8, and laid her il
the cornfeld, dead, alongside of he
dying mother. Then they wen,
back for the father and brought hin
out. Both his legs were broken, bu